Recognition for National Sports Federations on hold after HC raps sports ministry

The Delhi High Court confronted the sports ministry’s counsel with its February 7 order, in which it had directed the Indian Olympic Federation (IOA) as well as the ministry to not take a decision in relation to the federations without informing the court.

2 min readNew DelhiJun 25, 2020 01:49 PM IST First published on: Jun 25, 2020 at 12:48 AM IST

Indian Olympic Association, IOC office-bearers age limit, National Sports Federations, National Sports Federations age limit

The Delhi HC had directed the Narinder Batra-led IOA as well as the ministry to not take a decision in relation to the federations without informing the court. (Express File)

The provisional recognition granted to 54 National Sports Federations (NSFs) will be ‘recalled’ after the Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, expressed its displeasure over the manner in which the sports ministry went about the process.

A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Najmi Waziri confronted the sports ministry’s counsel with its February 7 order, in which it had directed the Indian Olympic Federation (IOA) as well as the ministry to not take a decision in relation to the federations without informing the court.

Observing that ‘in teeth of the order dated February 7, 2020, MYAS (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport) has on its own proceeded to provisionally renew the annual recognition in respect of 54 federations’, the bench asked the sports ministry to ‘issue a fresh notice within two days intimating all 54 NSFs concerned that its order giving provisional renewal till September 30, 2020, stands recalled.’